'Have You Ever Been to the Badlands?' - Greeny Original

[Greeny]

A bit of Americana in two parts. Both feature my 3 string cigar box guitar, but there's all kinds of acoustic guitar and Les Paul too. Drums, pianos and synths via Garageband.

Was supposed to be for the photo fest, but I can't find the picture I took at dawn in the South Dakota Badlands in Winter 1990 that inspired it. I think it's in storage. Oh well! 

Enjoying a completely new recording experience with my Orange valve amp mic'd with a Shure SM58, and acoustic guitar and vocals going through it too. Gives more of a live, breathable sound to my ears.

All recorded and mixed on the MBR.

have you ever been
to the badlands?
snakes go crawling over thorns and skulls
their cold blood waiting for the sun
my oh my what will we become?
crucified but still alive

but i'll go where the rain goes
i'll know what the grave knows
this place... this place
is bleaker than me

have you ever been
to the badlands?
the winter's in white like the ghost of a bride
who fell through the ice and drowned
and i am hurtling out of the sky
with a parachute that'll fail to open

but i'll go where the rain goes
i'll know what the grave knows
this place... this place
is bleaker than me

have you ever been... to the badlands?

[Johnny McAleer]

An excellent track.  A very smooth and polished performance this. Great instrumentation and feel to it and really superb vocals. It's one for my playlist and beyond for sure. Very nicely done indeed. I hear echoes of the wonderful Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic springing to mind: ("I would love to tour the Southland in a traveling minstrel show") Your new equipment and set up was well worth the expense!

[kenny mac]

Brilliant recording mate,the new technique sounds so good.
And that line ,the bride falling through the ice is very clever.
I listened on headphones and it very very well balanced.
A belter mate.
Well done.

[Greeny]

I hear echoes of the wonderful Steely Dan's Pretzel Logic springing to mind: ("I would love to tour the Southland in a traveling minstrel show")

I love that song and that line. They are very influential on me, although musically they seem so advanced and unattainable. I just admire them from afar! Fagen's oblique lyrics are superb.

[TPB]

Well this one is on the playlist now love the CBG giving the haunting overall feeling to the song vocals are outstanding
The other Tim

[hooper]

Love the huge sound of this and intriguing to read how you assembled it in the silver brick. It has a a wide-open epic Southwestern badlands flavor with the music. The words match the music and I especially like the second verse.  Lots going on here...

[Ferryman_1957]

Wow, double wow and triple wow! This is absolutely off the scale stunning, just love it. You build a superb atmosphere with this and the evocative lyrics just add another level to it. That opening with the keys and the CBG sounds fab, it sets the tone for the song and you build from there. The harmony vox are great and I love the way you drop out and build everything back up instrumentally from after about 3 minutes. It's a long piece but it never gets boring, the arrangement sees to that.

On top of that, the recording and production is really, really good. Your new recording technique worked really well and it sounds fab. The guitar sounds better than ever, and I love that lyrical bass line in the latter part as well. It comes across superbly on my monitors.

It's really good Tim. Did I say that enough? You should be very proud of this one.

[maxit]

Wonderful song, and wow, you are always in love with words ;-)
I am quite envious of your new recording gear, not completely just because in my house a better mic would only mean that you hear better slamming doors lol

[Farrell Jackson]

This is a great Tim! The Cigar Box sounds excellent. I like how you build the song into a full production without it being an "in your face" transition along the way. The use of the Orange valve amp does give a live (more air) sound to the vocals. Some fine lyric, vocals and lead guitar...heck it all sounds good!

Farrell

[chapperz66]

Words fail me - but I'll try!  This is wonderful in every way .   The acoustic on the left is sooo clear, the bass, the lead guitar, the cigar box are all first class.  But the vocal - both lead and backing harmonies, but especiallly the harmonies are sublime.  The mix isn't bad either  !

I actually listened to it twice on the bounce, which I don't often do.

Hats off to you sir.

Paul